We talk about the Nauvoo Temple as a story of sacrifice, and it is.

But what if the story of the Nauvoo Temple is also a story of connections?

It's the story of men and women who built a community to forge a stronger connection to heaven,

and at the heart of that community was a temple,

the ordinances of which formed a welding link between them and their ancestors. The temple strengthened the Latter-day Saints’ connections to each other, to past generations,

and to their God. I think that the story also represents our connection to the past.

The way that these men and women overcame tremendous challenges to build the Nauvoo Temple should inspire us to likewise forge stronger connections with heaven and with each other,

despite the formidable challenges we face in the present.